Remembering
by HerpyDerpy23
Summary: Malfurion walks through a forest, remembering the memories that haunt him. Fond memories of he and his brother Illidan fighting together for the good of the land, before they turn sour as the evil began to corrupt Illidan, despite his best intentions.
1. Chapter 1

He stepped along the underbrush with surprising delicacy and care for one so imposing. The forest laid out before him was a deep dark green, with the vibrant colours of flowers and plants spread throughout. It was lit with the warm glow of the sun, seeping through the canopy that sheltered the old forest.  
Strong colossal trees were numerous, their thick twisting branches and searching roots making them seem even larger, weathering the tests of time easily like wind unto rock.  
The noise of the forest was immense, the sounds of life everywhere. Birds singing, water flowing and insects chattering.  
To the Arch druid however, it sounded of peace and home. He set a slow relaxed pace, confident of his way as if a path were laid out before him.  
He breathed in the smells and drank in the sights, enjoying the moment of solitude before his troubled thoughts returned to companion him. And return they did.  
He continued his steady journey through the forest, but his concentration was now drifting elsewhere. In his minds eye, he relived the memories he did most of his waking days.  
The memories of his brother, and how it all began..

The field of once lush long green grass was segmented like cracked glass. Some parts were burning, others just scattered soil remained. The skies were clouded and dull.  
A faint drizzle fell from above, making the ground treacherous underfoot. Elven corpses littered the field, while the living fought on around them. Screams mixed with the sounds of clashing weapons and splintering shields filled the air. They showed true bravery, but the elven warriors were too few against a foe whose numbers never seemed to dwindle, no matter how many they cut down. 'The Burning Legion' they called themselves.  
The sight and situation enraged Malfurion, who was standing atop a large hill. His face contorted in anger as he began casting a spell to devastate a large group of demons, these ones sizeable creatures with cloven feet, rows of razor sharp teeth and vicious horns protruding from their heads, who were preparing to finish off a nearby cluster of warriors when he heard an urgent shout, "Brother! Duck!".  
Malfurion threw his magic and dropped to the ground in an instant, tasting the wet soil that splattered onto his face.  
A bolt of pure energy sailed overhead and struck something behind him. The resulting explosion was fierce and hot. He glanced behind to see one of the monstrous infernal giants, built of demonic flame and fury, blasted onto its back, fires extinguished and smouldering on the wet ground.  
Malfurion turned back to see his brother Illidan smiling at him, relief quite apparent in his large amber eyes. Malfurion had always known his brothers magic was strong, but that display of power was impressive.  
"Didn't know if that would work!" Illidan shouted, voice carrying over the sounds of battle.  
"I'm glad it did, brother! You never fail to surprise me." replied Malfurion, a fond smile creeping onto his face.  
Then he remembered the cluster of warriors he was attempting to save, and leapt to his feet, desperately scanning the field.  
He found them finishing off the demons who had been wrapped in thick roots, burst forth from the ground at the command of his magic.  
Illidan's brows drew together as he saw this as well and he seemed vexed that his brother could dispatch such a large group of enemies without much effort.  
Malfurion noticed this with some amusement and laughed, "We are both strong brother".  
Illidan waved the comment away with an offhand gesture, then pointed to an area close by, the elven warriors there faltering under the press of the demonic forces.  
They both charged down the hill toward them, feet sending up sprays of wet mud and clumps of dead grass.  
Illidan launched himself into the air as Malfurion cast a spell, several blue luminescent tendrils of magic extending from his outstretched arm at terrifying speed, converging all at one point and obliterating the ground in front of some elven warriors, taking a few demons with it.  
Illidan landed in the crater the magic had made, steaming mists rising around him as the light drizzle evaporated from the explosion.  
His arms pumped outwards repeatedly, sending bolts of magic into the enemy ranks until there was a large opening between them. There was a small period of silence during the aftermath.  
Demons and elves alike were stunned and motionless by the destruction and might of the Stormrage brothers. The demons recovered first though, charging forward once more.  
As they did, Malfurion burst through the elven ranks to his brothers side, who was breathing deeply from the exertion. Wisps of green energy had begun to flow from Malfurion towards the weary elven warriors, healing their wounds at a rapid rate. With Malfurion and Illidan at their head, the elven ranks reformed with renewed vigour and awaited the demons charge.  
The brothers turned and smiled at each other once more as Illidan's hands began to form a ball of energy, bright as the sun, and Malfurion's muscles bunched as his hands began to change into something resembling a bears, large and clawed. Together, they truly were a force to be reckoned with.  
The world began to turn to grey mist, and the memory faded.

He returned to the present, realising he had been standing still for some while. So still was he that two birds had come to rest on the antlers that grew from his head, singing to each other.  
He began moving forward through the forest once more, a faint smile on his face as he reflected on that memory.  
Brothers together, fighting the evil that threatened this world. But his smile faded, as that was always how the memory began.  
Even as he passed a beautiful minor waterfall feeding a small crystal clear pool, a sight that would have normally brought him great joy, his face grew sorrowful.  
His powerful shoulders slumped and his jaw clenched.  
He knew what awaited him next as he began to drift back into remembering. He could already hear the memory, the evil whispering to his brother. He knew what was coming...


	2. Chapter 2

The clearing was quiet, the air clean and crisp. The fading evening twilight gave the forest glade a sense of tranquillity, all things in perfect balance.  
The glade was surrounded by thick foliage and dense woodland, making it immensely difficult to stumble upon for even the most dedicated explorer.  
Inside, the grass was a lush deep green, the soil damp and fresh. The small pool at its centre fed life to everything.  
The peace and serenity had drawn all manner of forest creatures to make it their home. Deer grazed, rabbits raced and birds fluttered.  
The High Priestess lounged beside the clear pool, dipping her hand into it and swirling the clean water absentmindedly.  
She wore lose white robes over her lean athletic body, thin boots and bracers both etched with flowing silver. She had little jewellery bar two large earrings in the shape of crescent moons and a delicate silver headpiece, again a crescent moon, hanging from a thin silver chain.  
Her violet skin was smooth and young, belying her years, and her soft features were highlighted by the pale light of the moon, sitting in the clear star-lit sky. Her silver eyes had the distant look of being somewhere far away, or perhaps somewhere long ago...

Her mind was passing over the memories, seeing them flow like a glowing stream in the dark space of her thoughts. Maiev...Kael...The bridge...Water... her mind plunged deep into the next memory, bringing it to life...

Tyrande stood upon a large smooth rock in the shallows of the river, bow string taught against her cheek. Her silvered war regalia reflected starlight and moonlight, making her glow like a goddess.  
She loosed, sending yet another arrow into the undead abomination and watched it fall, striking the ground hard and sending out tremors like a giant tree toppled by the wind. Two of her own warriors stood beside her, lightly armoured with bows in hand. The last remnants of her forces. They were blocked in. The sides of the river were too steep to climb and the only way out was barred by hordes of undead monsters.  
They came in waves, and each wave they fought back, but their numbers were endless and it seemed they would eventually overrun them.  
"Come forth, you mindless wretches, and taste the wrath of the Sentinels!" Tyrande called out in defiance, her voice strong with conviction, "Elunes light shall never falter!". The undead hordes charged forth once more, bare bone, torn sinew and twisted features clear in the moonlight.  
Arrow after arrow they sent into the press, each felling a foe. Even so, the undead pushed forwards, slowing closing the distance as they clambered over the fallen. Seeing this, Tyrande stopped firing and held her arms outstretched to the sides. Her eyes closed, yet you could see them moving rapidly beneath the lids. Thin strands of pale ethereal light began to flow from Tyrande, slowly spiralling around her body then upwards into the night.  
Even though the roar of the undead forces was deafening, it seemed like a silence had fallen over everything else. Almost as if the world itself was holding its breath. Suddenly, clusters of power that seemed like the stars themselves came crashing down into the undead ranks, blasting and burning them in arcane fire. Tyrandes eyes snapped open and she watched coldly as the undead ranks screamed and fell. The bombardment stopped as abruptly as it began, and utter silence ensued. The undead now stayed back, out of range from their arrows, and waited. They seemed wary now that Tyrande had displayed such power. "They will not stay cowed for long, and I cannot do that again, my powers are running out." Tyrande whispered under her breath. "This may be our last stand my sisters". The two warriors nodded their acknowledgement without removing their eyes from the enemy. Even in such a dire situation, they showed utter fearlessness. Tyrandes heart swelled with pride. Hours passed with no movement from either side, until the undead masses began to shuffle, growing restless. "Here it comes my sisters, be ready.." Tyrande said, as she shifted her grip on her bow.  
Suddenly, Tyrande felt a massive amount of power being released somewhere near, and she heard an enormous explosion followed by screaming undead cries. Most of the undead horde turned and seemed to charge at something Tyrande could not see. "Malfurion.." Tyrande whispered, hope rising up within her. She knew he would never abandon her. Knowing this was their last and only chance at escape, she gave the command, "Fight my sisters! Help is at hand!". At her call the three of them began walking forward at a steady yet determined pace, all the while firing into the mass. The remaining undead forces charged forward, trying to overwhelm them. They fought with everything they had, yet even as Tyrande dropped 3 undead warriors in the space of a second, she saw one of her Sentinels fall, dozens of ghoulish figures coming down upon her. It was only a matter of time before the other fell in similar fashion. Now only Tyrande remained, and her heart screamed for her fallen sisters. She fought with an absolute fury that was terrible to behold. Yet she knew she could not keep it up. Exhaustion was creeping up her arms, crawling up her legs. She was slowing down. She fought on regardless, demanding vengeance for her sisters, even if it meant her death. Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw the rest of the undead fleeing before what must be her saviour. Malfurion was here. She finished off the remaining monster in front of her and turned to face him. Her heart stopped and she froze. For it was not Malfurion that greeted her, but Illidan.  
The world began to turn to grey mist, and the memory faded.

Tyrande blinked, returning to the now darker world, only moon and starlight left in the sky. A single tear fell down her cheek, before she wiped it away. It would not do well for Malfurion to find her like this. She could feel the Arch druid, her love, coming closer. Mere minutes away. She couldn't wait for him to arrive and to be in his arms. She felt empty without him. She stood up and began to wander around the glade restlessly.  
Her face was serious, mind deep in thought. Her and Malfurion had a decision to make, and it was not to be taken lightly. She was worried.  
Her fingers idly brushed the plants as she passed them, easing her worried expression as if their touch was comforting to her. But the expression came back as easily as it left.  
No one could find out what would happen here this night...


End file.
